Core Development Beefs Up Bench as it Targets More Projects

Core Development has been one of the most active names in Nashville’s urban redevelopment, and eyes are on its “make-live” project set to rise in Wedgewood-Houston. It will be the first large-scale, mixed-use project built in the neighborhood since the start of Nashville’s building boom.

Core has hired a new vice president to help manage the project and others alongside vice president Andy Beaird, an indicator of how full Core’s plate or pipeline may be.

Kent Campbell joined Core Development in October, but became a full-time Nashville resident just last week, after relocating with his family from Birmingham, Alabama. Campbell, who will report to company president and founder Mark Deutschmann, has over 20 years experience in development, largely focused on student housing projects in markets across the country.

When he decided to pivot into boutique, mixed-use development, though, Nashville seemed to have much more opportunity than Birmingham.

“There seems to be an influx of young people coming here, driving it all,” he said of Nashville’s boom.

I had the chance to sit down Monday with Campbell for an update on Core’s current projects. In addition to Wedgewood-Houston, Core is working on a single-family pocket community near Acklen Avenue and Love Circle, and a single-family home project in East Nashville.

Campbell said the company is eying a large tract of land “northeast’ of town but declined to offer more specifics. In total, he said Core is looking at a “dozen” different opportunities.

In regard to its high-profile Wedgewood-Houston project, Core is moving ahead with the design phase of its first two condo buildings, the details of which the NBJ reported in December. Campbell anticipates having marketing materials circulating for those within the next 30 days, and construction will start when certain pre-sale numbers are met.

The first two condo buildings will include about 7,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space, but no tenants have been confirmed. Core is targeting restaurants for the spaces, but will focus first on getting residents into the neighborhood.

“Our goal is to get the area activated, sold and occupied so that we can start to create a critical mass,” Campbell said.

Most recently, Fat Bottom Brewing was in talks to buy about an acre from Core to move operations from East Nashville to Wedgewood-Houston, but the deal fell through. Fat Bottom was seeking more land for parking, but Campbell said the economics of relinquishing more land wouldn’t work with Core’s overall development plan for the community.

Campbell said the company’s preference is to develop the entire plot, now about 8.5 acres, on its own, but discussions are underway with other business owners to sell parcels. Corsair Artisan Distillery, for example, bought two parcels from Core that it will develop itself.